Houston driver’s license office closing

HOUSTON – The local Mississippi Driver’s License office at the Houston Fire Station will close at the end of October.
The move will require anyone seeking to make a change to their driver’s license or teenagers looking to get a driver’s license to travel to offices in Starkville, Tupelo or Columbus.
The state cited a lack of use, lack of funding and personnel constraints in making the decision to close the Houston office.
“Many of our services can be done on-line and we urge people to visit our web-site,” said Warren Strain, spokesman for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. “They will still have to go to an office if they are making a change to their driver’s license and prove who they are.”
Strain said changes to address and marriage status name changes are the main reason people would have to visit a DPS driver’s license office.
“This move was not done lightly and they are mainly economic,” said Strain. “We also have had to close offices in Forrest and Grenada counties, too.”
The Mississippi Department of Public Safety website can be accessed at www.dps.state.ms.us. Click on the “Driver’s License Help” box on the right side of the browser for details and directions.
Strain said the state recently revamped it website and new technology allows drivers to renew or replace a driver’s license from their home or office.
The on-line process does require the user to have a credit card to pay for fees. The new system does eliminate standing in lines to complete a driver’s license transaction. The process of renewing a driver’s license online takes less than 10-minutes.